Bhutan Archives - On The Road Now

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Three Years On The Road Now – And Counting…

Melanie gets ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar — Melanie’s ready to hit the highway in a vintage motorcycle sidecar in Phong Nha, Vietnam

DANANG, VIETNAM – This month marks a milestone for us on our world travels. Three years ago, on June 15, 2017, we bid farewell to our home of 25 years in Western Washington state and set off with one-way tickets to Edinburgh, Scotland intending to travel around the UK for a couple months.

Ten weeks later we hopped back across the water to the U.S. to visit friends and family on the East Coast and the Midwest. Then, after two months in the Seattle area wrapping up some final loose ends, we flew off to Asia.

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October 1, 2019October 1, 2019

The road to Bhutan is paved with good intentions

Paro Taktsang (also known as the Tiger's Nest) is a Himalayan Buddhist sacred site located in the cliffside of Bhutan’s upper Paro valley (jboots/Pixabay) — Paro Taktsang (also known as the Tiger’s Nest) is a Himalayan Buddhist sacred site located in the cliffside of Bhutan’s upper Paro valley (Photo: jboots/Pixabay)

DANANG, VIETNAM – When Melanie and I registered last year for a weeklong tour of Bhutan, we promised ourselves we would get into better shape for the expected miles of hiking and the thinner air of the high-altitude environment.

Our starting point (Thimpu) is about a mile and a half above sea level, and the Tiger’s Nest Monastery in the photo above is located at about 10,000 feet.

The tour was described as moderately physical, so we figured we could manage whatever comes up along the way. But it would be nice if we could manage it without having to struggle.

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